Bal Thackeray critizes Sachin's Mumbai remarks

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today criticised Sachin Tendulkar for his "Mumbai for all" remark, saying there was no need for the cricket icon to take a "cheeky single" and hurting the Marathi psyche by moving to the pitch of politics.

"There was no need for him to take a cheeky single by making such remarks," the Sena mouthpiece 'Sammana' quoted Thackeray as saying.

"By making these remarks, you have got run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche. You were not even born when the 'Marathi Manoos' got Mumbai and 105 Marathi people sacrificed their lives to get Mumbai," he said.

Thackeray expressed displeasure that Sachin "left the crease" and moved to the pitch of politics by making these remarks which have hurt Marathi sentiment.

In a rebuff to the "Marathi Manoos" plank of Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's MNS, Tendulkar had said on Friday that Mumbai is for all Indians.

"Mumbai belongs to India. That is how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that but I am an Indian first," said Tendulkar

Shiv Sena and MNS have often played the "Marathi Manoos" card in a bid to attract votes. Raj Thackeray's fledgling party had even unleashed an anti-north Indian campaign that invited a lot of criticism.

"These kind of comments are completely uncalled for. Shiv Sena people have no business to talk like this. Tendulkar is a nationalist. He is for Maharashtra, he is for India. If somebody calls himself an Indian, is it a crime?" he fumed.

"No Marathi will support Shiv Sena if they talk in these terms. Tendulkar has spoken like an Indian, like a nationalist. They don't understand this. In order to get some votes, they are trying to provoke feelings. These people should be brought to book," Shukla added.

"Maharashtrians don't like such utterances. Only a handful of people will support this. Majority of them won't like this. They want to be called Indians first.

"This is the same language that Mohammad Ali Jinnah spoke. Whole of India and all Maharashtrians, excluding a few Shiv Sena leaders and leaders of Raj Thackeray's party, are with Tendulkar."